06

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Museum of Natural History has received a $94,409 grant from the Florida Wildflower Advisory Council and the Florida Wildflower Foundation Inc. for projects that educate the public about Florida’s wildflowers and butterflies.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Drug abusers are increasingly turning to a slow-release form of a powerful painkiller for a quick and dangerous high, University of Florida researchers warn. The trend is raising alarm as the number of people dying from an overdose of the drug fentanyl, an opioid 100 times more potent than morphine, rises.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Down on the farm, it can be downright dangerous – especially for thousands of Florida migrant farm workers who may not be familiar with rules and regulations designed to ensure their safety on the job. But help is on the way, thanks to a new University of Florida farm safety-training program aimed at the state’s 200,000 migrant farm workers.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — New Florida homes withstood last year’s four hurricanes better than their older counterparts — thanks in large measure to continued improvements in the state’s hurricane building code, say University of Florida engineers.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Whether mapping genes, probing elemental particles or monitoring global warming, more and more scientists rely on massive data vaults located at universities and institutions around the world.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Portraying the gay rights conflict as a sharply divided battle between homosexuals and social conservatives ignores the ambivalent feelings held by the vast majority of people in the middle, a new University of Florida study finds.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Researchers have built a world-record high frequency chip using a common type of semiconductor, an advance that could lead to inexpensive systems for detecting hidden weapons, and chemical and biological agents.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — For Florida manatees, the eyes may have it, say University of Florida researchers studying whether the mammals’ unusually thick tear film helps protect against disease and could be used to gauge the endangered sea cows’ ability to fight stress from cold water temperatures.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — African honeybees – also known as killer bees – have entered Florida, and a University of Florida researcher says the aggressive insects may eventually spread throughout the state and move into other areas of the southeastern United States.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Aortic disease kills nearly 15,000 people in the United States each year, but the rarity and complexity of this deadly disorder make accurately diagnosing it difficult for doctors in the health-care trenches, University of Florida researchers have found.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida staff will receive a 3.6 percent, across-the-board pay increase in August, with faculty members eligible for higher raises from a 5 percent salary fund, President Bernie Machen announced today.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — After a quarter-century fight against three invasive insects from South America, University of Florida researchers are declaring victory against the pests that caused $94 million in damage to turf and pastures each year.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Middle-aged women with no obvious signs of cardiac trouble may be prone to depression and the eventual development of heart disease if their heart rate varies less than expected in response to fluctuations in the body’s hormone levels, according to findings from a substudy of the Women’s Health Initiative published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Regenerative medicine scientists at the University of Florida’s McKnight Brain Institute have created a system in rodent models that for the first time duplicates neurogenesis — the process of generating new brain cells — in a dish.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — An associate dean from the University of Illinois has been selected as dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, or UF/IFAS. His appointment becomes effective Aug. 25, 2005.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Texas scientist and administrator Mark McLellan has been named dean for research and director of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, or UF/IFAS. His appointment becomes effective July 11.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The slogan "Don't go in the water" from the movie "Jaws" should apply not to humans but rather to sharks that have been decimated since the thriller came out 30 years ago this month, says a University of Florida researcher.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Janie M. Fouke, dean of Michigan State University's College of Engineering, has been named the University of Florida's new provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, UF President Bernie Machen announced today.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida’s population boom now includes some 500,000 wild hogs whose piggish habits are causing problems for farmers, residents and health officials as well as native flora and fauna.

Associate Provost Marc Hoit was quoted in a June 29 United Press International story about UF's leadership role in the creation of a new ultra high-speed Internet network. A story also ran in the Tallahassee Democrat (circ. 50,691). Both were the result of a news release.

An opinion piece by Law professor Michael Allan Wolf about the U.S. Supreme Court's decision regarding the use of eminent domain ran June 29 in the Tallahassee Democrat (circ. 50,691). The piece was edited and placed by the News & Public Affairs Op-Ed Service.

Law professor Michael Allan Wolf was quoted in a June 25 St. Petersburg Times (circ. 442,348) story about a U.S. Supreme Court ruling giving local governments the authority to raze people's homes for private development.
The quote was the result of a News & Public Affairs media advisory.

Research by engineer Kurt Gurley showing the new building codes helped protect houses during last year's hurricanes was the subject of a story June 29 in the St. Petersburg Times (circ. 442,348) and a brief in the Tampa Tribune (circ. 313,693). The story and brief were the result of a news release.

Chris McCarty, director of the survey research center at UF’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research, was quoted in a June 29 story in the Palm Beach Post (circ. 222,833) about his monthly consumer confidence report. The story was the result of a news release.

Entomologist Glenn Hall was quoted in a June 25 Associated Press state wire about his research on bee mites and how they are affecting the honey bee industry. The story ran in numerous papers around the country.
Please see related release.